NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — As the battle against the opioid crisis in Tennessee continues, the number of people who have gone through recovery wanting to help others through a state program is getting higher.
For multiple times a year, the state Certified Peer Recovery Specialist Program trains 18 to 20 people who have at least two years of recovery time from a substance use addiction or mental illness. The 40-hour training to become certified covers a variety of topics from trauma-informed care to communication techniques.
Since the program began in 2007, the program certified 1,160 individuals. Currently, there are 527 active CPRS, according to the Tennessee Department of Mental Health & Substance Abuse Services. On the other hand, the waiting list is extensive with more than 380 people waiting to get certified.
"Peer supports are very sought after and this is a position that's adding a layer of recovery and support systems to all types of healthcare, treatment facilities and mental health providers," Lifeline Peer Project Coordinator Dianne Sherrod told NewsChannel 5. "These people are meeting people who also have the same lived experience and we're able to say we've been where you are, and we know a way out."
Mary Linden Salter of the Tennessee Association of Alcohol, Drug & other Addiction Services said because of more state funding, the number of training every year can go up to 20. Part of the certification is to undergo supervised peer-to-peer work. To maintain certification ever year, a CPRS must complete 10 hours of continuing education including one hour of ethics.
Monti Herring finished the first part of the certification process on Friday. He battled substance abuse, alcoholism and depression when he arrived in Nashville as a homeless person in 2007. Thanks to a faith-based initiative at the Nashville Rescue Mission, he turned his life around and is now a Regional Overdose Prevention Specialist with the Nashville Prevention Partnership.
"You think you understand recovery but then you come to a training like this and meet others that are like you but with different journeys and you realize that you're not alone," Herring said.
Herring was able to train the people in his group on how to use Naloxone, also known by the brand-name Narcan. The nasal spray is a lifesaving drug that can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose quickly.
However, the use of Narcan has increased over the years as more overdose deaths are linked to the highly potent synthetic drug Fentanyl.
"It's in everything, liquid form, powder form, rock form and individuals are mixing it in every type of product," he said.
As of last month, the Nashville Fire Department administered Narcan to more than 1,860 patients. The number surpassed the total last year.
According to the city, the number of deadly drug overdoses in the first half of 2019 rose by 20 percent compared to the first half of 2018. Sixty percent of those 2019 overdoses involved Fentanyl, an increase from the year before. On average, there are 22 deaths related to Fentanyl each month.
To learn more about the CPRS Program, click on this link.
If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction, you can call the Tennessee REDLINE at 1-800-889-9789.
